The Chinese People's Liberation Army and Information Warfare

On November 23, 2013, China’s Ministry of National Defense spokesman announced that a new air defense intercept zone (ADIZ) will be established by the government to include the Diaoyu, or Senkaku Islands. Sovereignty over these islands is disputed by Japan, China, and Taiwan. Pundits and policy analysts quickly engaged in a broad debate about whether China’s expanded ADIZ is designed to create tension in Asia, or is part of a broader plan to impose a new definition of China’s territorial space in the Asia-Pacific region. Meanwhile, to deal with cyber penetrations attributed to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the U.S. Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and State are devising new means to protect intellectual property and secrets from the PLA’s computer network operations.This book explains how the PLA is revising its operational doctrine to meet what it sees as the new mode of “integrated, joint operations” for the 21st century. An understanding of the PLA’s new concepts is important for U.S. and allied military leaders and planners.